I’ll beat the race from Hell, says double amputee hero

A SOLDIER who lost his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan is taking on “the obstacle race from Hell”.

Lance Bombardier James Simpson, 27, is set to be the first double amputee to compete in a Spartan Race event.

Spartan races are open-country runs with punishing, surprise obstacles – ranging from crawling through mud to plunging into ice-pits, rope traverses and leaping though flames.

Organisers sum the races up as “events of pure, primitive craziness”.

L/Bdr Simpson, from Rawdon, near Leeds, was serving with 5th Regiment, Royal Artillery in Helmand province in 2009 when he lost both his legs above the knee to an improvised explosive device and damaged both his arms.

He is training in woods close to his home where he is trying to match his various prosthetics with the terrain and obstacles he and his three team-mates will face.

He has been using his running blades – shortened versions of those used by Paralympics track athletes – and what he calls his stubbies, small pads that fit on the bottom of his thighs.

L/Bdr Simpson said he plans to carry both at the event next month and swap them using an Allen key.

James takes to his blades and ‘stubbies’

I want every step to be my own. I don’t want to rely on my team to get me over obstacles

L/Bdr James Simpson

“It’s going to be a challenge,” he said. “It’s not so much the run I’m worried about, it’s getting over the obstacles.

“I’m going to be a lot shorter because of my blades. I’m going to have to rely on my arms and my legs.”

He said: “I want every step to be my own. I don’t want to rely on my team to get me over obstacles. I want to get over an obstacle, if it takes 10 minutes or if it takes 30 seconds.”

L/Bdr Simpson will run the Spartan York Sprint on September 8 near Ripon, North Yorks, which features more than 15 obstacles in a 5km course. Head Spartan coach Michael Cohen has been helping him prepare.

Mr Cohen said: “I’m over the moon to have the opportunity to work with him and give him the skills so he can complete a Spartan Race. It’s great. I feel inspired.”

L/Bdr Simpson, who is leaving the Army in September to become a student, is raising funds for national Forces charity SSAFA.